Carton



April 3, 1962 R. J RIDGWAY CARTON Filed Dec. 21, 1959 United States Patent 9 P 3,027,998 CARTON Robert J. Ridgway, Bala Cynwyd, Pa., assignor to American Viscose Corporation, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 21, 1959, Ser. No. 860,983 3 Claims. (Cl. 206-4534) This invention relates to a carton for a plurality of packages of packaged goods, and more particularly to a method of cartoning cigarettes and to a display carton for cigarette packages.

Because of the legal requirement of many states that a state tax stamp be placed on each package of cigarettes after the cigarettes enter the state and before they are distributed to retail outlets, the cartoning of cigarette packages presents problems not normally encountered in other fields. The manufacturer generally packs cigarettes in paperboard cartons with ten packages to the carton and the cartons are loaded in large boxes for distribution from the manufacturing plant. The cartons are provided for several reasons, principally to protect the individual packages from being crushed or torn, to provide additional moisture protection and to facilitate the handling of the packages. Upon entering a state having a state tax on cigarettes, the wholesaler or distributor removes the cartons from the large box and must open each carton in order to aflix a stamp to each of the packages, this opening of the cartons and aflixing of the stamps generally being done by machine. While the manufacture could of course carton the cigarettes in a variety of different ways, his selection of the type of carton is of practical necessity limited to a carton which can be readily opened and preferably resealed by the distributor without marring the appearance thereof. While the cigarette companies go to great lengths to provide attractive packages for the cigarettes, the cartons are generally designed primarily for utility, there being a not inconsequential expense involved in attractively printing the paperboard carton. In many instances the appearance of the carton is not particularly important because the retail merchant removes the packages from the carton and sells the packages individually but a great many cigarettes are sold by the carton, particularly in supermarkets and large drug stores, and where they are so sold it is highly desirable for the carton to present an attractive appearance. Since the individual packages are so carefully designed for attractive appearance, it would be desirable to provide transparent cartons but heretofore this has not been within the realm of practicability. Rigid transparent cartons are much too expensive and if the packages were overwrapped with a transparent film, the film would be destroyed when opened for the purpose of afiixing the state tax stamps.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a method of cartoning cigarettes in such manner that the individual packages are exposed to view and wherein the carton may be readily opened and resealed during the operation of placing the state tax stamp on each package.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a relatively inexpensive, substantially transparent carton for containing a plurality of packages of packaged goods wherein the carton may be opened and resealed without damaging the appearance thereof.

Other and further objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description of certain preferred embodiments thereof proceeds.

Referring now to the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a carton made in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 but showing the carton in an inverted position;

3,627,998 Patented Apr. 3, 1962 FIGURE 3 is a perspective view showing the carton in an opened condition;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary and perspective view of a slightly modified form of the carton;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of a modified form of the bottom tray forming one of the elements of the carton; and

FIGURE 6 is a view similar to FIGURE 5 but showing a further modification.

In that form of the invention shown in FIGURES 1, 2 and 3, the carton includes a bottom channel-shaped tray generally designated at 10 formed of two pieces of paperboard 11 and 12 of approximately the weight normally employed in the usual cigarette carton. The piece 12 is spot-glued as indicated at 13 to the top side of the piece 11 and extends lengthwise along one edge of the piece 11. At the edge opposite to the edge to which the piece 12 is attached, the piece 11 is folded upwardly to provide a narrow flange 14 similar to that provided by the angularly bent piece 12. Ten individual cigarette packages 15 are arranged side by side in two rows on the tray 10, the bottom portion of which is coextensive with the bottoms of the packages, so that the two flanges embrace the lower portions of the sides of the two rows of packages. The packages are then wrapped as a group with a flexible transparent packaging film 16, such as cellophane. As indicated in the drawing, the film covers the five outside sides of the package group and extends downwardly about the packages to overlap the upstanding flanges of the tray 10. Preferably the film is cellophane which has been coated with a suitable resin or polymer, for example, saran, so that the film may be heat sealed at the ends of the carton as indicated at 17. The cellophane wrapping on the individual packages is normally coated with nitrocellulose in order to make the cellophane water vapor resistant and if the outer wrapper is coated with a suitable resin incompatible in heat scaling properties with the cello.- phane wrap on the individual packages, the heat sealing of the outer wrapper will not cause it to adhere to the cellophane wrappings of the individual packages. Preferably, also, the tray 10, or at least the upstanding flanges thereof, is provided with a thermoplastic coating similar to the resin or polymer on the film 16 so that the film may be heat sealed to the flanges. Instead of being heat sealed to the flanges of the tray, the film may be attached thereto by a sutiable glue which may be applied to the flanges or to the film just prior to the wrapping of the film. Since various forms of machines are known which can Wrap and seal the film 16 in the manner described, it is not necessary to refer to any particular machine for performing this operation especially since, insofar as the present invention is concerned, the film could be applied by hand, although hand wrapping would not be commercially feasible. It is to be noted, however, that the film 16 does not extend about the bottom of the tray 10 and that in fact it stops a little short of the bottom of the tray. 7

When the shipping box containing cartons constructed as above described reaches the wholesaler or distributor in a state requiring a tax stamp to be afiixed to each package of cigarettes, the cartons are removed from the box and individually opened by inserting an instrument between the piece 12 of the tray and the bottom of the tray formed by the piece 11. Since the two pieces are only spot glued together they are readily separated as shown in FIGURE 3, whereby access may be had to the bottom ends of the individual packages so that the local tax stamps may be afiixed thereto.

After the packages have been stamped the carton may be resealed by applying an adhesive to the piece 12 along the line of the original adhesive spots 13 and pressing the 'piece 11 back to its closed position. It will be observed that no cutting of any part of the carton is involved in opening it and that the flexible film is not disturbed in any way. There are presently in use a number of different forms of machines capable of opening and rescaling the carton in the manner above described and for applying the tax stamps to the individual packages but, here again, insofar as the present invention is concerned this operation could be performed by hand.

That form of the carton shown in FIGURE 4 is essentially the same as that above described except that the flange portion of the piece 12 is extended and folded over the ends of the packages as indicated at 18 and the flange of the piece 11' is likewise extended as indicated at 19 and folded over on top of the end flange 18 and glued thereto. These end flanges l8 and 19 make the tray and the carton as a whole a little more rigid but do not interfere with the opening of the carton inasmuch as they are spaced slightly above the bottom of the tray so that the opening instrument may be inserted between the two pieces of the tray for separating them Without cutting the tray. The transparent film is applied in the same manner'as with the carton of FIGURES l, 2 and 3.

In that form of the invention illustrated in FIGURE 5, the tray 20 is formed of a single piece of paperboard which is folded along one edge to provide a flange 21 corresponding to the flange 14 of the tray 1% and along its other side is provided with a flange 22 formed by bending the material back upon itself sharply at 23 so that the flange 22 is of double thickness, the two layers of paperboard being permanently secured together by means of glue 24. A score line or line of weakness is provided lengthwise of the tray 29 so that when the flange 22 is bent to the position shown in the drawing the paper- "board breaks along the outer layer as indicated at 25.

The material forming the flange 22 is long enough so that it may be folded a second time at 26 to provide a portion 27 lying against the bottom of the tray '20 and this portion 27 is adhered to the bottom of the tray by spot-gluing as at 28. When it is desired to open the carton of this construction for the purpose of applying the tax stamps, an instrument is inserted through the roken portion and moved lengthwise along the carton between the portion 27 and the bottom of the tray so may be only partially broken at 25 and not actually severed during the formation of the tray. After the stamps have been applied to the packages fresh glue is applied to the portion 27 and the main body of the tray is pressed back into the position shown in the drawing to reseal the carton.

FIGURE 6 shows a form of tray wherein the removal flange is of a single thickness. In this form the tray 30 is folded at 31 to provide a flange 32 similar to the flange 21. The paperboard is folded back upon itself along a line of weakness so that it breaks open as indicated at 33 and the folded back portion is spot-glued as indicated at 34 to the main portion of the tray. The paperboard is folded back upon itself a second time at 35 to provide a double thickness, a portion 36 of which is held by the spot-glue 34 and a portion 37 of which is permanently adhered to portion 36 by means of a continuous glue line 38. Finally, the piece is folded at right angles at-39 to provide a flange 40. With this form of tray, as is the case with the tray of FIGURE 5, the flexible film is adhered to the outer faces of the flanges 32 and 40 in the manner described withrespect to the carton of FIGURES 1 through 3 so that there is a free space between the bottom of the tray and the lower edge of the film. In opening this carton an instrument is inserted through the tear 33 and then run lengthwise along the bottom edge of the carton to break open the spot-glued portions 34 and permit the tray to be opened in the same manner as the tray of FIGURE 5.

While the flexible film has been described as being trans= parent cellophane, it'will be understood that other films may be used which may or may not be transparent. For example, metal foil may be used. In any event, the carton constructed as herein described may be opened and reclosed without damaging either the wrapper or the tray.

Having thus described several embodiments of the invention, what is claimed is:

l. A display carton for cigarette packages comprising a paperboard tray for supporting a plurality of cigarette packages arranged thereon in side-by-side relationship in two rows, said tray having a rectangular base portion coextensive with the bottoms of the cigarette packages and having relatively narrow upstanding flanges along the opposite long sides of the base portion, one of said flanges being integral with said base, portion and the other of said flanges forming part of a separable piece which has a portion overlapping said base portion, means securing the overlapping portion of said separable piece to said base portion, said tray covering the bottoms of the cigarette packages arranged thereon and leaving the five other outside sides of the package group exposed except for the small portion on opposite sides embraced by the flanges, and a flexible transparent packaging film wrapped around the five exposed sides of the package group and flanges being integral with said base portion and the other of said flanges forming part of a piece which is separable from said base portion and which has a portion overlapping said base portion, means detachably securing the overlapping portion of said separable piece to said base portion, said tray covering the bottoms of the cigarette packages arranged thereon and leaving the five other outside sides of the package group exposedexcept for the small portion on opposite sides embraced by the flanges, a flexible transparent packaging film wrapped around the five exposed sides of the package group, said film. extending uniformly downward about said packages to a point where the film overlaps said flanges but short of the base portion of the tray, and means securing said film to said flanges to form a unitary cigarette carton.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 419,028 Baron Jan. 7, 1890 2,429,191 Olsen Oct. 14, 1947 2,552,340 Moore May 8, 1951 2,652,335 Conti Sept. 15, 1953 

